Review: Tatuaje Skinny Monsters The Frank

The Skinny Monsters are the latest iteration of the blends have become so popular with cigar smokers. They are currently available in a 10-count sampler that includes one version of each Monster release. Over the next few months I'll post up reviews of each blend. I decided to go in order of original release so The Frank came first.

Tatuaje Skinny Monsters sampler includes each of the following in a petite lancero:

Pre-Light: The classic Tatuaje band has become a favorite of mine. The simple script Tatuaje name has always appealed to me. Granted, these bands have gone through some changes over the years. I wasn't a fan of the addition of the word "Monsters" to the band, but I understand the purpose. This particular version includes the word "Skinny" for obvious reasons.

The Frank had a nice, solid feel to it and the wrapper smelled strongly of earth and black pepper. The cold draw was quite tight and required some massaging, but it loosened as the cigar burned through the first half.

Beginning: The Frank started out much smoother than I remember this particular blend being. Dark chocolate, charred oak, leather and chewy molasses dominated the profile. There was a peppercorn (flavor) note on the retrohale along with a mild black pepper (heat) spice. The spice was quite mellow and the retro was rather smooth. This is a bit of a departure from the other vitolas, but it's a positive step.

Middle: The richness of the profile took a step forward and the retrohale smoothed out even more. There was almost no black pepper spice present. The middle portion was nothing short of spectacular.

The black pepper spice on the retro kicked up a few notches as the middle third transitioned into the final third.

End: The spice came back! The smoothness that I so loved disappeared and The Frank took on a profile much more similar to past vitolas. The changes in profile were pretty drastic, but they seemed to start developing at the mid point of the cigar. The Frank finished with a bang!

Final Thoughts: I've smoked the original, Lil' and Chubby versions of The Frank and the Skinny is my favorite. The profile starter our smooth and rich and ended spicy and earthy. It was like how John Rambo was pretty chill at the beginning of First Blood, but once you pissed him off he went buck wild! When these Skinny's are released in bulk later this year, I will grab a bunch of these.